News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-11-17
SURVIVED THEIR WOUNDS,
REMARKABLE RECOVERY OF MEL
NEARLY SHOT TO DEATH.
A Terribly Wounded Soldier Marries
His Nursc.-A Soldier Saves His

A Terribly Wounded Soldier Marries
His Nurse.-A Soldier Sayes His
Leg.
"If the medical corps of the army
should give their "reminiscences they
| could add great many interesting stor.
fes to the incidents of the war which make
such popular reading to-day" said an
ex-army surgeon now connected with
bne of the departments in Washington
to New York Sun correspondent.
''In 1868 / was the acting assistant
surgeon of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania
Cavalry. We crossed the Potomac at
Raccoon Fork, and marched to Frederick,
where the command was changed Gen
eral Hooker succeeding General Meade
at the head of the division, and General
Stahl was made commandant of cavalry,
in place of General PleasantOn.
''On Sunday, July 2, the first brigade
was engaged in a small fight at Littles-
town, and following that we had another
little furry at Red Mills Then came the
battle of Gettysburg. l was detailed to
take charge of the hospital at Hanover,
which was few miles away from the
field, and two or three days after the fight
been found in wheat field, shot all to
pieces He had lain in the broiling sun
for three days without food or shelter Of
any kind, and he was in a horrible condi-
tion. His case seemed a hopeless one
from the moment we laid eyes upon him,
but everything was done to ease his dying
hours, and to make him comfortable as
he passed out of the world. Under the
a ia
large dose of morphine was administered
in order that he might pass away with as
little consciousness of pain as possible.
But forty eight hours afterward he still
lived, and did not seem at all inclined to
quit.
''Just then a young lady from Han
over who had been helping around the
hospital, asked if there was any special
cases of which she might take charge.
She was told that there were, and was
assigned to look after this poor fellow.
She did her work so well that shortly af-
ter he was able to lie removed from the
field hospital to better one, where he
continued to improve, and, shortly after,
entirely recovered. This mans name
was McEwen, and he had been a private
in Missouri regiment. When dis
charged as convalescent he at once mar
ried the young lady who had done so
much toward saving his life, and soon
afterward returned to his command.
where he rapidly rose in rank, and was
finally mustered out as Captain"
"There was another interesting case
which came under my observation. At
the battle of Ballard's Dam, seven miles
below Falmouth, Lieutenant W. G.
Weeks, of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry,
received shot wound in the foot which
entirely shattered all the interior bones.
Ede was taken to the rear and attended by
Or. Wooster, of the First Michigan Cav
AIRY, and DR.. Wood, of the Fifth New
York. These surgeons at once announced
that his entire foot would have to
be amputated, but Weeks declined
to allow the operation to be performed
until he / ad seen the surgeon of his own
regiment, DR.. Arthur X. st. Clair, in
whom he had the utmost confidence. As
soon as it could be done st. Clair exam
ined the foot and decided that portion
of it could be saved. 1t was late at
night, but an improvised surgeons table
was prepared and a number of tallow dips
were lighted in order that the operation
might be properly performed. Then DIR.
st. Clair dissected out all the anterior
bones of the foot and brought down the
heel bone, so that it was directly under
instead Of behind the extremity of the
leg. From this bone he removed the
articulating surface, and, bringing a flap
of flesh around, finished what is known
as the Pirogof operation.
''This was the first and only time that
this operation was performed during the
war The field hospital was not very
convenient place for a man to recover
from such a wound as this had been and
Weeks was sent on to Washington, where
he had quarters in the hospital on Armory
square Here the attending surgeons eX-
amined him and decided that, inasmuch
as there was great danger of blood
poisoning, and little hope of saw
ing even a portion of the foot, he must
submit to an amputation of the lower
portion of his leg. Weeks absolutely re-
fused to have this done. He said that
DR.. st. Clair had told him that with
proper care he might recover, and he be-
lieved in ST. Clair more than any other
surgeon in the army This somewhat
disgusted the doctors, who had little
time for sympathy in those days, and
y
tie attention He laid there for some weeks
growing constantly worse and almost
neglected, until one day Senator Zach
Chandler visited the hospital looking for
Michigan men.
''Weeks heard his voice as he passed
through the wards, and shouted to
Chandler that he was a Michigan man,
and that if he d; ID not receive attention
he would surely die. Chandler responded
in his characteristic style:
by George, if thereis any care that u
Michigan man wants he shall have it,
and he was as good as his word.
under the patronage of the Senator,
Weeks fingered along for some time,
suffering greatly from blood poisoning
and from malarial complications, but
finally he recovered and was discharged.
When last heard from he was living in
AlIegan and wore an artificial foot, upon
which he was able to get around very
nicely"